retreating, despatched Werneck with ten thousand men to

Tübingen. Werneck soon discovered the mistake, but Murat had caught him in a trap, and he was forced to capitulate, October 18, 1805. The capitulation was disapproved at court. Werneck was sent to Königsberg, examined before a council of war, and his conduct condemned. Unable to survive the disgrace, he died January 16, 1806.—J. T—e. WERNER, Abraham Gottlob, an eminent geologist, was born at Wehlau, in Upper Lusace, on 25th September, 1750, and died at Dresden on the 30th June, 1817. He was educated in a school in Silesia, and afterwards in the school of mines of Freyberg in Saxony. He afterwards studied at the university of Leipsic, and devoted special attention to mineralogy. So early as 1774 he published a work on the external character of minerals, in which he pointed out the importance of accurate definition. In 1775 he was appointed professor of mineralogy in the school of mines of Freyberg. The subject of geology became his special object of study, and in 1787 he issued a treatise on the classification of rocks. He adopted the view that the formation of the various rocks in the globe was due to chemical precipitation from water. He applied this to the primitive rocks as well as the others, and included basaltic and porphyritic rocks in the category. He lectured on the theory of formations, and showed that the crust of the earth consists of a series of strata lying over each other in a determinate order, and in a uniform system. In 1791 he published his view of the formation of veins, and accounted for them on his theory of deposition from water. His statements excited great notice among geologists in all parts of the world, and procured him many followers. He kindled an extraordinary enthusiasm in his pupils by his eloquence and his engaging manners. His Neptunian system was taught in many schools, and it was ably supported by Professor Jameson in the chair of natural history in Edinburgh. The Wernerian system was ultimately strongly opposed by the Huttonians, and out of the controversies which arose truth has been evolved. The two theories require to be conjoined in order to account for the appearances seen in the rocks. Igneous action, as well as deposition from water, must be taken into account. Werner acquired great celebrity throughout Europe as a geologist and mineralogist, and he may be said to have been the founder of the system of mineralogy. He visited Paris in 1802, and was elected foreign associate of the Academy of Sciences. He never was married, and he sold his collection to the school of mines at Freyberg, in which he was a professor for forty years.—J. H. B. WERNER, Friedrich Ludwig Zacharias, a German dramatic poet, was born on the 18th of November, 1768, at Königsberg, where his father occupied the chair of history and eloquence. After the early death of his father he was educated by his mother, and completed his studies in the university of his native town. At the same time, however, he began a most dissipated course of life, by which he deeply afflicted his friends, and most of all his mother. In 1793 he obtained an inferior situation at Warsaw, and began to take an active interest in masonry, in which he imagined he had found the principal means for the improvement of mankind. To what mystic absurdities his ill-regulated fancy carried him is best shown by the extraordinary fact, that in his "Confessions" he declared Christ the first and greatest grandmaster of masonry. In 1805 he was translated to Berlin as clerk in some state department, but some time after resigned and began travelling. He resided some time at Weimar, formed an acquaintance with Madame de Staël at Interlaken and Coppet, and embraced the Roman catholic faith at Rome, 19th April, 1811. He even took orders, entered for a while the order of the Redemptorists, and in 1814 fixed at Vienna, where during the congress he attracted crowds of hearers by his sermons. To see a protestant poet, who was famous for his unholy life, transformed into a catholic priest, and thundering forth from the pulpit like another Abraham à Sta Clara, was indeed a novelty. Werner died 18th January, 1823. His dramatic productions show great poetical talent and energy of language, but are defaced by eccentricity and mysticism. The most renowned among them are—"The Sons of the Valley;" "The Cross on the Shores of the Baltic;" "Martin Luther;" and "The Twenty-fourth of February," which was the dying-day of the poet's mother. This latter is a dark, fatalistic night-piece, but full of original power and deep knowledge of the human heart.— (Complete works, including the Sermons, edited by Schütz; Grimma, 1839-41, 14 vols.; Life, by Hitzig, Berlin, 1823.)—K. E. WERNER, Paul, a cavalry officer, celebrated in the annals of the Seven Years' war. He was born at Raab in Hungary on the 11th December, 1707, and at the age of sixteen entered the Austrian service as a junker in the regiment of hussars commanded by Nadasti. For twenty-seven years he served under the Austrian flag, taking part in the several campaigns against Spain, France, Turkey, and Prussia. Notwithstanding his eminent military qualities, proved on many a field, he obtained no promotion. Disgusted at length with what he felt to be unjust treatment he quitted the Austrian service in 1750, and offered his sword to the great captain of the age, Frederick the Great, against whom he had fought at Molwitz. His offer was accepted, and he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of hussars. Animated by a violent personal animosity against his former commander, Nadasti, he pursued that officer with untiring vengeance, and so skilfully outmanœuvred him that Nadasti would have fallen a prisoner into his enemy's hands, had he not been recalled home by the government of Vienna. At Kollin, at Breslau, at Leuthen, and at Landskron, Werner performed brilliant feats of arms, and won from the economical king not only rank and honours, but even gifts of money. His most remarkable achievement was raising the siege of Colberg, beleaguered by the Russians in 1759, which was celebrated by the striking of medals and other more solid rewards. In attempting to relieve the same place, besieged a third time by the Russians in 1761, Werner was taken prisoner, and remained in captivity till the accession of Czar Peter III. in 1762, when peace was signed. He died in retirement ou his estate in Silesia, January, 1785.—R. H. WERT or WERTH, John of, so called after the place of his birth, a small town in Brabant, was a celebrated partisan leader who figured in the Thirty Years' war, and was born in 1594. He first distinguished himself in the Bavarian service, which he only quitted for one short interval for that of Austria, always fighting on the side of the imperials. He bore a conspicuous part in the famous battle of Nordlingen (1634), after which he marched upon Heidelberg, all of which he had occupied except the citadel, when Duke Bernard of Weimars arrived with an army, and obliged him to retire. In France he excited no small alarm by successively occupying Lorraine, Alsace, and finally Picardy, threatening Paris itself (1630). On the approach, however, of a French army of fifty thousand men, he retired with a rich booty. In 1637 he seized Ehrenbreitstein and Hanau; and in defence of the latter place against Duke Bernard he was severely wounded. On his recovery he assisted in raising the siege of Rhenfeld; but while the imperialist generals were rejoicing over their triumph, they were surrounded in their camp by Duke Bernard and taken prisoners. John of Wert was sent to Paris where, after a short seclusion in the castle of Vincennes, he became the object of intense interest to the lively French people, and was fêted and lionized on every hand. After four years' captivity he was exchanged against the Swedish general Horn. In 1640 he held a command in the Austrian army, but he soon returned to his old colours. After the peace of Westphalia he retired to an estate in Bohemia, where he died in 1652.—R. H. WESLEY, Charles, M.A., youngest son of Samuel Wesley, rector of Epworth, born December 18, 1708; a premature child, who rose to be one of the best hymn-writers that the country ever produced. He was educated at Westminster school, where his pugnacious bravery excited the admiration of the boys. There he also became remarkable for his scholarship, and his skill as an actor in the classical drama. While he was at school an Irish gentleman, Garrick Wesley, Esq., offered to adopt him as his heir. The flattering proposal was, however, declined, and Garrick Wesley bequeathed his property to a kinsman who was grandfather to the great duke of Wellington. In 1726, Charles Wesley was elected to Christ church, Oxford, where he took his degree, and where, though a high churchman, he first obtained the name of Methodist, being deeply serious and strict in his religious life. When in 1732 Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia, Charles Wesley was chosen one of the first colonial chaplains. There he enforced ecclesiastical discipline in a manner more rigid than discreet. He set out on his return to England August 11, 1736, and after a most perilous voyage and many delays, landed at Deal on the 3rd of December in the same year. His religious views were greatly modified by his communications with Count Zinzendorf and other distinguished Moravians. For a time he officiated in the parish church of Islington, but he was soon compelled to withdraw, in consequence